What is constant connectivity? The affordances that underlie potential communication

The idea that people are almost always “connected” is cyclically seen across academic disciplines and societal conversations. In the field of communication, a variety of concepts have been developed to understand this phenomenon of constant connectivity. The current paper integrates prior theorizing through the concept of “connectivity.” Grounded in Schramm’s classic model of communication, we propose a more concrete conceptualization of connectivity through a set of four affordances—mobility, accessibility, availability, and synchronicity—which specify how communication is made possible via channels across space and time. We then outline how both individual channels and overall media ecologies contribute to connectivity. We conclude by considering the implications of studying connectivity along a spectrum from “absent” to “constant,” including how its four constituent affordances can dynamically vary across situations in daily life. Overall, our theoretical review clarifies how (mobile) media support (constant) connectivity and chart an integrated course for studying connectivity into the future.